Survival (Skill)
The Survival skill focuses on exclusively outdoor activities. It is used to train and care for animals, forage in the wild, predict the weather, ride animals, and track prey. It is common to most military units (especially Special Forces troops), as well as hunters and other outdoorsmen. Healing Animals: '''The Survival skill is used to train and ride animals; healing animals is a facet of the Medicine skill. '''Sample Knowledge: '''Flora and fauna by territory; geography; hunting laws and methods; trail signs; animal psychology. Animal Training When an animal is ridden, it operates like a vehicle (see page 289); otherwise, it operates like an NPC (see page 441). In either case, when an animal possesses 1 or more NPC qualities with the ‘trained’ tag, it is considered “domesticated.” An animal possessing none of these qualities is considered “wild.” This skill check is used to grant an animal 1 or more NPC qualities with the ‘trained’ tag. Each time you want to grant an animal a new quality, you make an Animal Training check against the animal’s Training DC (see page 445). When targeting a domesticated animal, your error range is only modified as listed with the animal’s Training DC. The time required to train a domesticated animal is 2 weeks. When targeting a wild animal, your error range increases by 2 after it is modified as listed with the animal’s Training DC. The time required to train a wild animal is 4 weeks. '''Cooperative: Yes (maximum 5 helpers). 'Retry: '''Yes, unless you suffer a critical failure. '''Threat: '''You gain a rapport with the animal. Your error range with each Animal Training check targeting the same animal decreases by 1 (minimum 1). This effect lasts until the end of the current mission or until you fail an Animal Training check targeting the same animal (whichever comes first). '''Critical Success: '''The training time is reduced to 1/2 standard (rounded down, minimum 1 week). '''Error: '''You earn the animal’s fear or anger. Your error range with each Animal Training check targeting the same animal increases by 2. This effect lasts until the end of the current mission or until you succeed with an Animal Training check targeting the same animal (whichever comes first). '''Critical Failure: '''Some animals simply never learn. The target animal may never gain additional trained qualities. If the animal possesses no trained qualities, it remains wild forever. Foraging You may make a Foraging check at the end of each day during which you’re traveling through the wilderness without food and shelter. Your DC and error range are determined by the local terrain, your movement rate, and the number of people for whom you’re responsible, as shown on Table 2.47: Foraging Checks. With success, each character in your party has the food and shelter necessary to heal at his standard rate for the day. With failure, each character in your party is undernourished and poorly sheltered, healing at 1/2 the standard rate (rounded down). If this result occurs 3 days in a row, and no alternate supplies are available, each character in the party begins to starve. '''Cooperative: '''Yes (maximum 5 characters). '''Retry: '''No. '''Threat: '''Each character in your party has the food and shelter necessary to heal at his standard rate for both today and tomorrow. '''Critical Success: '''Each character in your party has the food and shelter necessary to heal at his standard rate for the next 7 days. '''Error: '''Your overland travel drops to 1/2 standard (rounded down). '''Critical Failure: '''Your overland travel is reduced to 1/4 standard (rounded down). Forecast Weather With a successful Forecast Weather check (DC 20), you accurately predict the weather within the next 24 hours (per the GC’s discretion). '''Cooperative: '''No. '''Retry: '''No. '''Threat: '''You accurately predict the weather within the next 36 hours (per the GC’s discretion). '''Critical Success: '''You accurately predict the weather within the next 72 hours (per the GC’s discretion). '''Error: '''You inaccurately predict the weather within the next 24 hours (per the GC’s discretion). '''Critical Failure: '''Your inaccurate prediction leads you to plan poorly. Your error range with all Survival checks increases by 2 for the next 24 hours. Maneuver This skill check is used to control any animal you are riding (see page 289). Personal vehicles are controlled with the Acrobatics skill, non-personal vehicles are controlled with the Drive skill, vehicles with the ''crew quality are controlled with the Tactics skill, and foot maneuvers are handled with the Athletics skill. No skill check is required to take a standard animal move, but a risky one — made during combat, or other threatening circumstances — requires a skill check. The DC and error range of each Maneuver check are determined by the riding task you’re attempting to perform, as shown on Table 2.28: Maneuver Checks. With success, you perform the desired maneuver without mishap; otherwise, you fail to perform the desired maneuver and your animal travels at its current Speed in a random direction determined by the Deviation Diagram. If the result causes the animal to travel in any of the three directions opposite its original facing, it wheels in place instead, coming to a stop at the end of the current round. Additional Untrained Penalty: The Mounts and Animal-Driven vehicles focus is gained with the Drive skill. When you ride a mount or use an animal-driven vehicle without this focus, you suffer an additional penalty as described in Table 4.71: Vehicle Skills and Focuses. Morale: ''Mounts are subject to morale checks. The rules for animal skill checks are found in Chapter 7 (see page 445). '''Cooperative: '''No. '''Retry: '''Yes, with GC permission (some maneuvers are impossible a second time). Also, the circumstances of a maneuver may change with each attempt (e.g. due to weather, combat, and similar circumstances). '''Threat: '''Your error range with the next Maneuver check made on the same animal decreases by 1 (minimum 1). This effect is lost at the end of the current scene if unused. '''Critical Success: '''Your error range with each Maneuver check made in the same animal decreases by 1 (minimum 1). This effect lasts until the end of the current scene or until you fail a Maneuver check while riding the same animal (whichever comes first). '''Error: '''The animal collides with another object or is badly strained by the maneuver and must make a Damage save against damage equal to your Maneuver check DC minus 10. '''Critical Failure: '''The animal collides with another object or suffers catastrophic strain from the maneuver and must make a Damage save against your Maneuver check DC + 5 per action die spent to activate the critical failure (maximum +20). Tracking This skill check is used to follow any prey across nearly any terrain. When following a target outside buildings or structures, you must succeed with 1 Tracking check per mile. When tracking a target inside a building or vessel, you must succeed with 1 Tracking check every 300 feet. A Tracking skill check is also required each time the target’s tracks become more difficult to follow (e.g. when the target deliberately tries to cover his trail, when other tracks cross the target’s trail, when the target backtracks, etc.). While following someone, you must move no faster than 1/2 your Speed (rounded down), unless you accept a +2 error range penalty with all skill checks made at the same time. Your DC and error range are determined by the trail surface and other conditions, as shown on Table 2.48: Tracking Checks. With success, you may continue to follow the target; with failure, you temporarily lose him. ''Concealing Tracks: ''When a target makes an effort to conceal his tracks, your result is opposed by his Falsify/Cover Up result. The effects of success and failure remain unchanged, except that if you fail two opposed Tracking checks in a row, you lose the target and may not make any further Tracking checks targeting him. When concealing his tracks, a target may move no faster than 1/2 his Speed (rounded down). '''Cooperative: '''Yes (maximum helpers equal to your Charisma bonus, minimum 0). '''Retry: '''Yes, but only after 1 hour of additional searching (outdoors), or 10 minutes of additional searching (indoors). If you fail three Tracking checks in a row, you lose the target and may not make any further Tracking checks targeting him. '''Threat: '''You have the target directly in your sights. Your error range with each Tracking check targeting the same character or group decreases by 1 (minimum 1). This effect lasts until the end of the current scene or until you fail a Tracking check targeting the same character or group (whichever comes first). '''Critical Success: '''The target isn’t losing you anytime soon. You keep your current Tracking result for the next 10 miles (without rolling). '''Error: '''You find the target slippery. Your error range with each Tracking check targeting the same character or group increases by 2. This effect lasts until the end of the current scene or until you succeed with a Tracking check targeting the same character or group (whichever comes first). '''Critical Failure: '''The local terrain confuses you. You may not make a Tracking check within 10 miles of your current position for the duration of the current scene. Category:Skill Rules Category:Skill Checks